MONROVIA – Officers of the Liberia National Police on Monday, September 1, 2025, arrested a welder accused of forcibly opening the Nathaniel Cassell Building at the University of Liberia (UL) on the reported orders of the Vanguard Student Unification Party (SUP). The building houses the office of UL President Dr. Layli Maparyan, who has come under mounting pressure from the influential student political party to resign.
The arrest came just hours after SUP staged a protest on campus, demanding Dr. Maparyan’s immediate removal. The students accused her of presiding over failed leadership, growing inequality, and mismanagement at the state-run institution. Their demands have intensified following leaked documents alleging that Dr. Maparyan receives more than US$15,000 monthly in salary and benefits, even as faculty members continue a go-slow action over salary cuts and poor welfare.
At a press briefing, SUP leaders accused the UL administration of prioritizing personal benefits for top officials while neglecting the welfare of teaching staff and students. They warned that continued inaction could spark more demonstrations and further strain relations between students and administrators.
Tensions escalated further after reports of vandalism in several offices on campus, which the police are now investigating. SUP, however, has remained resolute, insisting that Dr. Maparyan must step down to “save the University of Liberia from further ruin.” In a weekend statement signed by Secretary-General Odecious Mulbah and approved by Chairman Sylvester Wheeler, the group described her seven-month tenure as “disgraceful stewardship” that has left the university stagnant and failing to address longstanding challenges.
The statement accused Dr. Maparyan of worsening infrastructure conditions, citing broken classrooms, bathrooms, and lack of internet connectivity. The group also criticized her for mismanaging the academic calendar by classifying vacation school as a full semester, an arrangement they said undermines the education of more than 25,000 students.
SUP further condemned what it described as arbitrary dismissals and suspensions of staff, including the removal of Vice President for Fiscal Affairs Isaac Gannet. According to the group, Gannet’s replacement, Lester Tenny, received undocumented retroactive payments within two weeks of his appointment.
The students also strongly criticized Dr. Maparyan’s decision to forcibly retire nearly 200 employees based on age, including senior professors and administrators such as Dr. Mills Jones, Prof. Wilson Tarpeh, Prof. S. Morris Cooper, and Ass. Prof. Clifford J. Young. SUP argued that the move undermines academic progress by discarding experienced staff members who continue to make invaluable contributions.
“Age is no measure of worth at a university,” SUP declared. “Wisdom, institutional memory, and mentorship are central to academic progress. Forcing out 200 capable staff members risks creating a significant gap in the University’s teaching and administrative capacity.”
SUP also leveled corruption allegations against Dr. Maparyan, claiming she receives US$7,776.62 in official salary from the university’s budget and an additional US$7,286.47 through what the students described as an “illegal allowance” processed via debit memos at Ecobank. They argued that such off-the-record payments erode public trust in the university’s financial management.
“Maparyan has taken more from the University as opposed to contributing,” SUP said in its statement. “She has failed and must leave now.”
As the protest continues to intensify, the students have vowed to petition the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia, demanding the removal of Dr. Maparyan, who holds U.S. citizenship. “We will petition the U.S. Embassy, asking them to come take their citizen from here; she is destroying the University of Liberia,” the group declared.
The University of Liberia administration has not yet issued a formal response to the allegations, but security around the Cassell Building has since been tightened following Monday’s arrest.
